Building construction



June 18, 1929. FOSTER 1,717,444

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 22, 1927 Z Sheets-Sheet l gas- June 18, 1929. T. J. FOSTER BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1927 V V MMMw/W v gnaw/"tow TJTasrEfi;

Patented June 18, 1929.

UNITED STATES "T OMAsJ. FOSTER, or nrnenwoon, nEw JnnsEY.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed September 22, 1927. Serial NO. 221,347.

This invention relates to building construction, more particularly to floors and roofs, although it is applicable to walls and partitions,

and other uses for which lire resisting mate- I rials are desirable.

The invention aims'to provide a light, strong, heat and sound proof, fire resisting construction which may be erected easily and rapidly without centering and at reasonable cost.

Further objects of the invention appear hereinafter in connection with the description forcing and nailing strips suitable for a floor.

having wood finish.

Fig. 3 1s a similar view of a floor having a cement or composition fimsh;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section through a floor embodying the invention taken at right angles to a supportingbeam, showing a preferred form of beam encasement; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views illustrating other forms of beam encasement suitable for use with a floor slab embodying the invention.

The invention'is illustrated as applied to a floor supported upon light weight eams 11, the spacing being from two to three feet or more asis customary in apartments and offices and other buildings of the fire-proof type subjected to light floor loads. Any type of beam may be used for this purpose, either the fabricated or solid rolled beams being suitable; butthey should not be so heavy as to require to bespaced further apart than the width of the plaster boards 12 forming the under face of the floor slab.

Thefloor slab is composed of suitable sound resisting or sound and fire resisting sheets:

or boards 12, such as sheet rock, gypsum boards, etc. commonly used for partitions and ceilings, which are laid across the supportin beams 11' and insulate them from the floor above as described in my Patents Nos. 1,582,172 and 1,582,173, dated April 27, 1926, and which in turn support the floor filling 13 of heat and sound insulating material. (See Fig. 1). ably a light, fire resisting composition, either dry granular or plastic in nature, and does This floor filling is prefer not need to be strong or even self sustaining because it doesnot constitute a part of the load carrying structure of the floor. y

Suitable filling materials are'plaster and and loose noncombustible earthy materials, such as sand, clay and crushed slag or dry cinders. As these materials havelittle struc-- tural strength and some are not very cohesive,- a layer of chicken wire 14: or: other reinforcing or binding material may be embedded or spread over the filling and partly embedded therein to hold the filling in place, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3; This is particu larlyadvantageous in giving strength to the 1 slab in moving it to the building site and in placing it in position. I

The slabs may be precast, and if made of a wet materiallike cellular gypsum, it is preferable to dry them before installation in the PATENT OFFICE. 1

6O asbestos, cellular gypsum, insulex, magnesia,

building. The slabs should be kept dry during the construction of the building, and

this may be accomplished by covering them with a waterproofing sufiicient to exclude-the I moisture irom them for some weeks. This 1 cheapens the cost of the building by allowing floors and roof to be laid without waiting for the slabs to dry out, and improves-the construction by insuring that the floor finish and finished roof beputon dry slabs. Other:

wise moisture would have di'fficultyin get I ting'out of the slabs after the floor waterproofing, roofing felt'and finished roof was put on.

The floor supporting sheets 12 are stifiened to give them suliicient strength and rigidity to support the floor filling 13 and floor finish by ribs or bars 15, of wood or metal which are secured flat against the floor, sheets for their entire length, by means Ofsuitable adhesive 16, such as asphaltum, 'or other sticky noncombustible material, that retains itsadhesive properties" for an indefinite period. These bars 15 may be made the full depth of; the fill and used to supportthe floor finish as shown in Fig. 2, particularly if the latter be wood, or they may be shallower and covered by the fill, as shown inFig. 3, wherein channels17, angles 18 and Ts'19 are illustrated. In many cases it may be desirable to use wood strips 20 reinforced with one or as illustrated in Fig. 2., Clips 22 may be secured to the bars 15 at'theirends adjacent more metal bars'21 ofchannel or other shape,

bars and floor sheets in place, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

My ribbed supporting'sheet construction enables a loose dry filling m'aterialihaving little or no structural strength to be utilized for deadening the sound vibrationsin the structure, and the combination of insulated sheetsand non-conducting filling makes a quite'sound-proof'fioor impossible to secure lowith more densen' aterials.v r Any suitable. means for covering and pro- 'tectinglj the beams may be attached to the under side'of the floor. For example, as

' shown in Fig. v l -sheets 23 of plaster board or other fire resisting material are nailed to spacingblocks 2st secured on the sides of thebeam bymeans of metal strips 25 at top and bottom and sofiitstrips 26 are nailedthereto for protecting the under side of. the beams.

This construction permits of filling the spaces betweenthe blocks :24 and beneath the flower flanges of the beams with light fire resisting composition 27 to furnish better protectionto the beams in case offire in the room' 7 below.

':In Fig. 6 the beam protection comprises "plastic board strips 28 to, which an insulating lining 29 has been. secured by casting thereon prior to erecting them in place. This 30 construction permits securing the soifit strips 30 by means of grooves or rabbets in the lower -IlI1SlCl6 faces of. the side strip lining 29 in which the edges of the sofiit strips engage, andprovidessuificient protectlon from fire '35 without any filling of fire proofing material ends of thehangersand seated on Washers or straps 34:. provide secure and convenient means for supporting the channel beam encasement. members. V 5 Various modesof procedure maybe used in erecting floors, roofs, walls,;etc.' embodying the. invention. Preferably before erection the materials are assembled, and thesupportingv sheets 12 and stiffening members 15 are rigidly secured together-by dipping the lat-. ter-inythe adhesive 16 and: letting them setuntil the adhesive is hard. For some purrrposes it is desirable to place the. retaining wire '14: and filling 13 prior to erecting the I slab in thefstrt'icturegor they maybe'placed f after erections The latteris preferable :in

.floors having pipes orconduits embedded in J the filling. 'Theclips 22 are secured under.

thebeam flanges after-the, sheets are assem-v bled in place.

Over the filling 13 a continuous la yer of] felt35may be laid,and covered the flooring 36 91 cement or other finish 37. For

roofs, the felt 35 maybe waterproofed and covered with any of the" roofing finishes used for flat: or sloping roofs. Fastening the .strengthening'ribs to the sheets in the manner described stopsthe vibration in the ribs so that sound will notbe conducted through them, therebyeliminating any direct means for conducting sounds from the roomabove to the room below or vice versa.; The'sheets 12 on the under side of the completed floor or roof make a satisfactory finish for many structures, and may be painted or plastered if desired.

A roof constructed asdescribed is inexpensive, light in weigl1t,=heat and sound 1 proof, and atmospheric conditions will not cause condensation of moisture on the under side. The supporting beams 11 may be spaced far enough apart to utilize their full strength, and the stiffened sheets Willsupport the weight of workmen and materials during construction. 111 the roof slab to rust if not painted, or to There is now material cause condensation of moistureonthe under Advantages of the invention over existing typesof floors androofs are its heat and sound insulating properties, combined with light weight and cheapness of construction.

Inthese'respects it is superior to types of construction having slabs made of more dense materials, which requirecentering for their erection, or metal reinforcements to enable them to carry parts of the floor load, and which are poorinsulators of'heat and sound.

The invention is not restricted to the de-- tail constructionillustrated. 7

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A floor or roof construction composed of light weight beams spaced apart and sup-- porting a slab comprising rigid sheets of insulat-ing material, said sheets havingspaced stiffening members adhesively secured upon I one side. thereof, an insulating filling embedding said stiifening members, and'means and stiffening memfor securing said sheets bars to said beams. 4 K

2. A fioor or roof construction composed of light weight beams spaced apart and'supporting a slab comprising rigid sheetsof insulating material, said sheets having spaced stiffening members adhesively secured-uponone side-thereof, an insulating fillingem-y bedding. said stiffening members means for securing said sheets and'fstifi'ening members to said beams, beam encasement members comprising sheets of insulating material se-.

cured around said beams,,and non-combustible filling material between, said ment members and sald beams.

3. A fioor orroof construction'composed of light weight beams spaced apart and supencaseporting a slab comprising rigid sheets ofinsulating material, said sheets having spaced stiffening members adhesively secured upon one side thereof, an insulating filling embedding said stiffening members, means for securing said sheets and stiffening members to said beams, beam encasement members of insulating material secured around said beams, and a finish layer over said filling and insulated thereby from said beams.

1. A floor or roof construction composed of light weight heat and sound conducting beams spaced apart and spanned by floor supporting sheets of heat and sound insulating material extending in a substantially continuous layer over and between said beams, sheets of similar heat and sound insulating material encasing the sides and lower flanges of said beams and supported therefrom, a floor filling of heat and sound insulating material upon said floor supporting sheets, floor supporting members embedded in said filling, and a finished floor overlying said filling.

5. A floor or roof construction composed of light weight heat and sound conducting beams or rafters spaced apart and spanned by floor supporting sheets of heat and sound insulating material extending in substantially continuous layer over and between said beams, a floor filling of heat and sound insulating material upon said floor supporting sheets, floor supporting members embedded in said filling, a layer of waterproofing overlying said filling, and a finished floor overlying said waterproofing and filling.

6. A floor or roof construction composed of light weight supports 11, sheets 12 span ning said supports and constituting a continuous heat and sound proof insulation between said supports and the upper surface of said floor or roof, a filling 13 of light fire resisting material carried by said sheets, reinforcing means 14 for retaining said material, and a top layer 36 of weather and wear resistant material forming a protective finish for said construction.

7. In a heat and sound proof building construction comprising spaced beams or rafters, rigid sheets of cementitious material carried by said beams or rafters, said sheets having spaced supporting members adhesively secured upon oneside thereofto constitute self supporting units during and after erection, an

insulating filling embedding said supporting members, and means for retaining said filling in place, said retaining means being secured upon said sheets by said supporting members.

8. In a heat and sound proof building construction comprising spaced beams or rafters, rigid sheets of cementitious material carried by said beams or rafters, said sheets having bedding said supporting members.

9. In a heat and soundproof building construction comprising spaced beams or rafters,

rigid sheets of cementitious material carried a by said beams or rafters, said sheets having spaced supporting members. adhesively secured upon one side thereof to constitute self supporting units during and after erection,

and an insulating filling of porous non-combustible material upon said sheets and embedding said supporting members, .and a layer of waterproofing material on said filling.

10. In aheat and sound proof building construction comprising spaced load carrying members, sheet-like insulating material supported on said loadcarrying members and having its stiffness increased by ribs adhesively secured thereto, an intermediate layer of non-heat and sound-conducting light weight material of inconsiderable strength embedding said ribs, and means for retaining said light Weight embedding material in place.

11. In a floor or roof construction comprising spaced beams, unitary slabs suptop flanges, said slabs being composed of self sustaining insulating sheets reinforced with stiffening members adhesively secured thereto and embedded in cellular plastic material, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS J. FOSTER.

ported on said beams and overlying their 

